UNRESOLVED ISSUES
by erin boriiss
Summary: Deciding that she's had enough of her troubles at the Tendou dojo, Akane hops on Bus 14D, where she meets a strange young kid... I spent a lot of time on this so please read and rate! :D
1. UNRESOLVED ISSUES: Akane's Story

Disclaimer: Ranma ½ belongs to Rumiko Takahashi.  
  
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PROLOGUE: THE TICKET-COLLECTOR AKITO SON  
  
Hi there. My name is Akito. Let me tell you something about the Son family. Both my mother and father spent their teens in the 1950's, in the post-World War 2 era. It's been noted that children who grew up in that time of hardship and fear almost always have an air of seriousness about them. My mom always said that it was because their childhoods were marked with sadness.  
  
Anyway, my parent's seriousness rubbed off on me (or so I'm told). My dad had been part of the volunteer laborers who helped rebuild Tokyo after the war. He met my mom in his late thirties, because she was one of the volunteer women who cooked food for the laborers. They were married two years later, and nine months later, my mom gave birth to twins.  
  
Now, my father is the proud owner of Bus 14D, one of the many buses that go from Tokyo to Kyoto. The ride alone takes eight hours. Many people have different reasons for boarding the bus. Thrice a month, a pharmacist goes on board to make a trip to his childhood sweetheart. An accountant goes back and forth between the two cities to make important business transactions.  
  
There are the businessmen, the young lovers, the sightseers, the swindlers. And there are the runaways. They are those who feel like they can't take what life throws to them, so they simply run away. Sometimes, I take quick interest in these people, most of them in their teens. When they board, I can take one look at them and know right away. They hand me their money, and sometimes they talk on their own free will.  
  
More often than not, their stories are the same. They babble some boring story about how their parents don't understand how they feel, or how their college tuition fees aren't going to be paid on time. Usually, I don't even bother with the pretense of being interested. I can look away or leave the aisle, and they'll still be talking.  
  
But, I must admit, there are those rare runaways who make the seemingly boring task of collecting bus tolls worthwhile.  
  
This is a collection of those people I've helped get over their unresolved issues.  
  
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CHAPTER 1: UNRESOLVED ISSUES: AKANE'S STORY  
  
(This is told in Akane's POV)  
  
I didn't know how long I'd been crying. The nerve! Ranma Saotome, my fiancé, is a lying, selfish, egotistical bastard. And it's not only because he has THREE other fiancés aside from me, but it's also because I always catch him being friendly with them. Just last week, I saw him in Ukyo's pancake house, practically jumping all over the counter to hug that fiancé. I didn't even try to listen to his pathetic excuse.  
  
The other day, he was planning his wedding with Kodachi Kuno! They were in the front grounds of our Furinkan High School, and there he was, whispering to her in hushed tones while Kuno-sempai gave his blessings. What did Ranma say about that? I don't remember. In any case, he was lying.  
  
And the last straw was when I caught him snuggling up with Shampoo near the Cat Restaurant. His arms were around her in complete abandon, and she was standing very close in bliss. I stormed off before Ranma could even open his mouth to speak.  
  
I am NOT over-suspicious in any way. I do NOT assume things that are not true. I am NOT jealous of anyone. Ranma accuses me of all of the above. I admit that I am slightly annoying at times, but I had no idea that I'd crossed the boundary when I turned off the water heater of the dojo just to spite him. I still think it was kind of funny how he'd banged on the pipes in desperation to turn back into a man when the public bath had closed for the day. Only tonight I realized what a mistake I'd made.  
  
Because tonight, he announced that we'd broken the engagement.  
  
(Flashback)  
  
"Yo Pops, me and Akane say that we'd rather commit suicide than marry each other."  
  
My father and Mr. Saotome, human form, had sputtered and protested to no avail. Ranma was firm on his decision. I stared up at him from where I sat at the table, watching his handsome face shout out more insults at me. I didn't hear a word of what he said because all that filled my mind was a strange, desperate void. All that I heard was a shrill sound of warning.  
  
I'd never seen Ranma so set on refusing something from his father. And of course, our parents, Nabiki, and Kasumi had turned to me with uneasy expressions. My father and his friend had been trying to talk their son out of 'our' decision to break the engagement plans, but this hadn't gotten any positive response. If anything, Ranma was looking more annoyed by the second. My father was the first to speak.  
  
"Is this true, my beloved daughter?" he asked, his eyes brimming with tears. I watched numbly as Mr. Saotome put a hand on my father's shoulder as if to steady him. "Would the both of you rather die than marry each other?"  
  
I'm not sure if those were his exact words or not, because the shrill warning siren in my head was yet to fade away completely. In any case, I just knew what he was asking me. I had still been watching Ranma all this time, and he'd just noticed that I was staring at him. He glared at me, as if to tell me this was my entire fault.  
  
It took a while for me to open my mouth, and even longer for the void in my mind to shush the warning and form words.  
  
"Yes," I said, eating my words. "There's no way I'm not going to marry that idiot."  
  
I don't know how many times I'd said this in the past. Only now, these words seemed to have the effect I'd always thought I wanted. I watched, half-numb, as my father fell forward onto the table to cry in his arms. Nabiki leaned back on the tatami mats with a surprised look on her face, and Kasumi put a hand over her mouth. Mr. Saotome was telling something about what an ungrateful son he'd raised. I didn't notice as Ranma sat down in his place across the table from me.  
  
I stared at the table as I thought about what I'd just said. As much as I hated to admit it, I did have feelings for Ranma. Apparently, he didn't have any for me. If in the past, I'd thought Ranma hated me, now I was completely sure.  
  
The 'click' sound of chopsticks being put on the table put me out of my thoughts. I looked up and saw Ranma staring at me, as lost in his thoughts as I'd been in mine. Everyone around us was in chaos, talking and crying, and there we sat, staring at each other openly.  
  
(End of flashback)  
  
But now, I'd come to my senses, and I was the same Akane Tendou I'd been before I even met Ranma. At least, that was what I was trying to tell myself. I think it was working. I was in my room, looking through some random magazines, but not really reading at all. It's hard to explain; it's like something inside me just crashed in when Ranma broke the engagement in such a cold manner.  
  
He hadn't cared for me at all, even a little, and that fact hurt me more than I cared to admit. It scared me to think that the next day, I was going to come out of my room, and see Ranma in the wooden hall. Then we'd see each other in school. We were, after all, seatmates. We'd see each other in the dojo: where else could we practice without being disturbed?  
  
I flipped through another page as the thought fully formed in my mind: I had to get away.  
  
I had get away from everything; I needed a break. Everything I did seemed to cost me more energy than it originally did. The simple task of turning the glossy magazine paper seemed to make my fingers sigh in protest. As soon as the full realization of this hit me, I started to cry. Big, unhappy, uncertain tears. Where would I go? I had some savings, good enough to get to another city and stay there for a few days. But where would I go?  
  
The tears rolled heavily down my cheeks and off my chin to land on the magazine before me. I looked down, and there it was: Fate. Destiny. I was never a believer in either of those two, but I couldn't have described this moment as anything else. It was an ad to visit Kyoto...  
  
'KYOTO: THE HEART OF JAPAN! COME VISIT AND COME ALIVE WITH OUR BREATHTAKING SCENERY AND MAJESTIC TEMPLES! EVERYTHING IS HERE FOR THE YOUNG AND THE YOUNG AT HEART!'  
  
As if to proclaim and confirm what the ad just said, there were pictures of the scenic Kyoto, from the high temple gardens to the sun-bathed park areas. I don't know what came over me. My hands suddenly became sweaty, and from my laying position on the bed, I sprang to stand up on the carpeted floor. I sat at my desk and took in the beautiful photos.  
  
Kyoto! Of course!  
  
There were lists of the buses that left from Tokyo to Kyoto every other day. Only one of these buses departed from Nerima. It was the Bus 14D, which departed at seven AM every single morning. I took a red ball pen and circled the ad, feeling a tingly feeling of adventure rising in my gut. The tears on my face had long dried. I was filled with a grim sense of determination.  
  
I was going to go crazy if I stayed in this current situation. I had to take a break.  
  
It was nearing eleven at night. I turned around slowly in my seat to look at my room. Was I really going to go through with this? Part of me said that it was a stupid plan, but I kept pushing that annoying voice away. Yes, I was going through with this. I stood up, and with renewed energy, I headed directly for the duffel bag in the closet.  
  
I went back and forth around the room, stuffing items inside. Extra shirts, pants, socks, underwear. The basics. A good book for boring times, a sweater, because it was November. I brought along a flashlight and matches and the small foldable tent, because I might need to camp outside. If Ryoga could get across Japan by camping out in vacant lots, then so could I.  
  
By the time it was almost one in the morning, I was finished packing. The duffel bag lay heavily on one shoulder, but I could carry it without problem. I carried the duffel bag and stood in front of my full-length mirror, feeling kind of stupid. I didn't see someone about to go on a life- changing trip by herself. What I saw was a young girl with messy black hair cut just below her ears and large hazel eyes that were slightly glazed with manic energy.  
  
In any case, I brought the bag to the closet and stuffed it inside. I knew that it was almost impossible for someone to come in my room in the middle of the night and see the duffel bag. But the universal truth remained: it's better safe than sorry. I thought about this as I turned off the lights and crawled into bed only to stare up at the dark ceiling.  
  
Anything was better than staying in this hellhole.  
  
==========  
  
The crisp morning air made me sigh in contentment. I was standing at the bus stop somewhere in outer Nerima with the duffel bag. I wore a hooded jacket and jeans and rubber shoes.  
  
The Bus 14D was already there before me, but I was waiting for other passengers. I'd left the house at six in the morning, when only Kasumi was awake. I hadn't even said goodbye. I simply slipped out the front door and made my way to the bus stop by walking and taking my time. I'd arrived at the bus stop fifteen minutes before seven, and I was filled with a sense of nervousness.  
  
See, I'd left a note with Nabiki, my older sister. In case something should happen to me, I thought someone in the Tendou dojo should know where I was heading and where I was seen last. So, I slipped a note in Nabiki's schoolbag. I knew that by the time she'd open her schoolbag, it would be eight in the morning, and I would have been one hour into the road already. But still, she could open the bag ahead of my estimated time, read it, and tell everyone. I'd specifically told her in the note not to tell anyone where I was until I hadn't come back in a week or so.  
  
Even as I stood there looking so confident with my arms across my chest, my back tingled with the fear that someone I knew would suddenly appear and ask me what I was doing. The navy blue bus before me loomed invitingly. Finally, with a sigh of resignation, I went up to the entrance and peered in.  
  
The bus driver, a heavily tanned man in his fifties, stared back at me. He was wearing the formal suit common to all public transportation divers. I looked further into the bus as I stepped in hesitantly. There were about fifty cushioned red seats, at the sides by sets of two. So far, only one of these seats was occupied. A scrawny-looking adolescent sat at the very center of the bus, staring out the window.  
  
He looked way too young to be traveling by himself, and so I approached him. I really do have a caring streak. I sat in the seat beside him without a word, and he turned his gaze to look at me unconcernedly. He was a good- looking young kid, with dark brown hair and green eyes which emphasized his light tan. He wore a loose white shirt and pants that were cut below the knee.  
  
Something about him made me slightly uneasy. He looked at my duffel bag, which was left in the aisle. I felt as if he could see my slight nervousness at the thought of being caught, the sleeplessness in my eyes from the night before. He opened his mouth to speak. I swallowed hard, but all he said was:  
  
"You'd better put that up there."  
  
He pointed directly up, and I realized that he meant I was supposed to put my bag in the hollow compartment directly overhead. I smiled sheepishly and stood to put the duffel bag where it belonged, groaning at the weight. When I looked back down to the kid, I saw him smirking, and I began to sweat. Where were the other passengers? Couldn't we leave? What if dad came bursting in-  
  
The bus door opened again, and I looked to see an old man hobble into the bus. I gave a sigh of relief. I was getting really jumpy. There was nothing to worry about, see? I thought to myself.  
  
"Runaway," the kid suddenly piped up even before my sigh was finished. The whistle ending of my sigh started up again to become a high-pitched gasp of surprise. But I recovered quickly, and I gave him a grimace.  
  
"And where are YOUR parents, kid?" I asked him, slipping back into the cushioned seat. "You're too young to be traveling by yourself."  
  
The kid smirked. "That's my dad over there," he said without pride, pointing to the man at the wheel of the bus. I was somewhat taken aback by his indifferent attitude. "I'm the toll collector," he continued.  
  
"What about your studies?" I'm sure my face was a mask of surprise, but I didn't really care.  
  
"I'm not going to go to school. I'll be a trash collector," he said. I could hear the thinly veiled sarcasm in his voice, and I frowned. I ignored it.  
  
"What's your name?" I asked him. He smiled toothily, revealing overgrown canines, like the ones Ryoga had. Where was Ryoga? I shook my head abruptly to discontinue that train of thought. For some reason, it was interesting to talk to the young boy in front of me.  
  
"Akito Son."  
  
"Akito?" The smile on my face wavered uncertainly. Didn't Akito mean demon? What kind of parents would name their own son that? As if he could read my thoughts, the adolescent grinned.  
  
"I'm a demon," he said. I felt the sweat form instantly on my forehead and roll down my temple. He said it with so much ease. To change the topic, I blurted out:  
  
"When's the bus leaving?"  
  
As if in answer, the floor of the bus gave a mild jolt, and the bus started forward. Akito smirked again. I was started to get the feeling that he was provoking me on purpose, always smirking and grinning like that. And his answers to her questions were out-of-the-ordinary. I gave a huff and leaned back into my seat. Akito went back to staring out the window.  
  
I glanced at my watch. 7:15 am. Nabiki and my father would be awake by this time. But there was nothing anyone could do. The bus was already on its way. When we had been on the road for a few more minutes, I sat up and brought my knees to the cushioned seat, staring back over the red backing. I stared through the back window of the bus at the bus-stop shed, which was quickly becoming smaller. The bus went slightly downhill, and the shed disappeared completely.  
  
"Nervous?" Akito asked, and his head whipped around to look at me. There was definitely something weird about this kid. He hadn't even moved his thin neck, as far as I could see. I shook my head. No. "Why are you still sitting beside me?"  
  
"Is there a problem?" I asked hotly.  
  
"Toll money," he said, abruptly changing topics. Another bead of sweat rolled down my back.  
  
"Toll money," he repeated. "You got to pay to ride to Kyoto. I'm the toll collector, remember?"  
  
If the fact that I didn't believe him showed on my face, he must have seen it. because he reached for an ID in his pants pocket. It showed his face, and the name of the bus, verification number, the name of his father. In bold yellow letters there was the print: 'TOLL-COLLECTOR, BUS 14D'  
  
Grudgingly, I took the wallet out of my jacket sleeve and paid him. I half- expected him to stand up and go to the old man, who was the only other passenger on the bus, and ask for the old man's toll fee. But he didn't. He just let out his breath and continued to stare out the window.  
  
Lost in my own thoughts, I began to think about Ranma. He always insulted me mercilessly, as if I had no feelings whatsoever. Always, I acted like I didn't care, but the truth was that even if his snide remarks were bad enough, what hurt most was the fact that I could never be truthful about my feelings towards him. At this, I stopped myself. What was I thinking? I don't like that perverted maniac at all. Even if our parents had arranged our marriage, we hate each other! He's mean and selfish and-  
  
"-you here?"  
  
"Huh?" I sputtered, having been interrupted from my musing. Akito was looking at me expectantly, his green eyes gleaming with interest.  
  
"So why are you running away from?"  
  
"I'm not running away," I said to him in a matter-of-factly tone. "I'm just getting away for a while."  
  
"Oh really." There it was! The sarcasm I was quickly coming to hate. "You know, you have a whole lot of unresolved issues."  
  
"Now you're psychic?" I asked him, scoffing in spite of myself. Yes, I was stooping down to his level, but it was refreshing. After watching my moves around the Tendou dojo too long, I could act like a kid.  
  
"Something like that," Akito said. "My mother is a witch. You know what, I've decided that I'm going to help you get over your unresolved issues."  
  
I could only stare, stupefied, as the bus continued on it's way to Kyoto.  
  
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TBC... REVIEWS! ( 


	2. Akane's feelings for dr tofu

Disclaimer: Ranma ½ belongs to Rumiko Takahashi.  
  
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AKANE'S UNRESOLVED ISSUES  
  
CHAPTER 2: AKANE'S FEELINGS FOR DOCTOR TOFU  
  
"Your father is going to worry about you," I said in a matter-of- factly voice as I filled the shallow cooking pan and held it over the fire. I was sitting with Akito Son in an empty lot somewhere in Kyoto, camping out for the night. I'd always thought that it was a pity that Ryoga had to camp out all the time in the cities he stayed in, but not I realized how wrong I was. It was a refreshing experience, this feeling of adventure.  
  
The small tent swayed gently in the chilly night breeze, and the stars loomed in the night sky overhead. The only source of light was the bonfire before me, so it seemed as if I were in my own small world. There was a strange sense of peace.  
  
"No, he won't," Akito said confidently, as he grabbed an egg from my Tupperware and cracked it. I watched as the egg went into the pan, sizzling all the while. "It doesn't matter. I don't care what he thinks."  
  
I didn't know what to say to this, because I had no idea what his family was like. He rarely said anything about his family, and even when he did, I was never sure if he was lying or not. He turned to me and reached for another egg.  
  
"About your unresolved issues," he started. "You'll solve them if you let me help you."  
  
I shook my head, and my thoughts went back to the Tendou dojo. By now, everyone would have known that I was 'missing'. I was confident that Nabiki wouldn't tell anyone unless she felt there was a need to. I could imagine the scene, my father crying, Kasumi with her faint "Oh my", Mr. Saotome insisting that Ranma go look for me. I had the crazy thought that Ranma would be lounging somewhere in the house, saying something along the lines of: "Who cares about that un-cute tomboy?"  
  
I realized Akito had been waiting for my reply. I shook my head. "You can't help me," I said. "I have to solve my problems on my own. That's why I'm here."  
  
I gestured around us, at the tent and the empty lot, and the bonfire, and the pan I held in my hand. He followed my gaze, unimpressed.  
  
"No," he said. "You're running away." He picked up some chopsticks from my pack, and used it to scramble the eggs in the pan. I gritted my teeth. My suspicions that he was very much right pushed themselves to the surface. I bristled. Akito was just a little kid! What did he know?  
  
"No, I'm not," I said hotly. There was silence after that, as we watched the eggs cook.  
  
"You live in Nerima, right?" Akito suddenly piped up.  
  
"Huh? Yeah."  
  
"My dad's bus leaves Kyoto tomorrow at the same time back to Nerima."  
  
"I'm not going back just yet," I said indignantly. He stared at me.  
  
"Give me two weeks," he said earnestly, the chopsticks in his hand not moving. "If you still want to run away, fine then. But give me two weeks to help you solve your issues."  
  
I couldn't help but be amused. What could a little kid like him do? Yet there he was, grinning at me confidently, as if he knew the answer to every question in the world. I don't usually depend on other people to solve my problems for me, but at the moment, I could practically feel the burden of the world hanging on my shoulders.  
  
If an elephant had walked up to me and told me he could help, I probably would have accepted. If he said he could help me, then maybe he actually could.  
  
"Fine," I said uncertainly. "I'll give you two weeks."  
  
"You have to promise to do whatever I say."  
  
What did I have to lose? I was either going to lose my mind or do as he said.  
  
"Okay," I agreed with more confidence. "Let's see what you can do."  
  
Little did I know how much I was going to regret that statement in the weeks to come.  
  
==========  
  
We took the same bus on its return trip from Kyoto to Nerima. Akito Son didn't even say good-bye to his father. He just stepped off the bus and walked beside me as if it were the most natural thing in the world. He was still wearing the white shirt and short pants that he'd been wearing the day before.  
  
It was already three thirty in the afternoon. Autumn break had begun the day before, so the roads were not as crowded as they should have been during school days. Because of the two-week autumn break, I hadn't even thought about school when I thought of going to Kyoto. We'd been walking for a good forty minutes.  
  
"Which way?" Akito asked when we came to the choice of straight or left. I looked down the road that went straight. I could see Furinkan high in the distance. I looked to the left, and I saw the metal rail with wide chain links, and the water channel on the other side of it.  
  
"There," I said. "We're almost at the Tendou dojo."  
  
And so we walked, him skipping along lightly with boyish anticipation, and me dragging my feet. The same feeling of heaviness I usually felt when I was around the dojo came again to settle in my stomach. The dojo loomed ahead.  
  
"Tendou dojo," Akito read the sign. "We're here!"  
  
And he let himself in. I followed behind apprehensively. The front door opened...  
  
"Akane!" Kasumi said as she stood in the doorway. Some things never changed. She looked like she'd never been through a bad day in her life. Behind her, my father and Nabiki suddenly appeared.  
  
"Akane," Nabiki said, sounding surprised. She was still wearing her usual mint green jumper and a white shirt under it. She raised an eyebrow at me while I stood there in the walkway sheepishly. "You're back early."  
  
"Where have you been, my princess?!" My father asked as he rushed towards me to hug me. Honestly, you'd think I'd been gone for more than a decade or something. From the corner of my eye, I saw Akito watching this exchange with interest.  
  
"I slept over in a friend's house," I lied, as I shifted the duffel bag on my shoulder again. I shrugged off my dad's arms and walked again towards the house, feeling weary. Yes, this was the life I wanted to get out of. And some little kid had actually talked me into coming back. The worst part was, I'd promised him that I'd do whatever he 'advised' me to do for the next two weeks.  
  
I slipped past my sisters and went up to my room. Vaguely, I heard footsteps behind me as Akito followed suit. When I'd reached the top flight of stairs, a very unwelcome figure suddenly presented himself.  
  
"Where'd ya go?" Ranma asked harshly as he stood blocking my way to the wooden hall. "Everyone's been going crazy. Pops kept telling me to go rescue you."  
  
"What do you care?" I asked indignantly as I lifted my chin defiantly. I watched his expression harden. He put his arms across his chest, and he stepped out of the way.  
  
"Who would care for an ugly tomboy like you anyway?" Ranma stuck out his tongue at me.  
  
"Pervert," I muttered hotly, wanting badly to summon up my mallet and whack him in the head. But I was tired, and I hadn't wanted to go back to the dojo in the first place. Just as I'd suspected, I wasn't ready to face him. He'd broken the engagement with such coldness just two nights ago, and now he was back to insulting me.  
  
"Ugly," Ranma retorted.  
  
"You're even uglier than Akane," Akito suddenly piped up from behind me. I realized that he'd been standing behind me, watching the whole exchange with interest. Akito overtook me on the stairs and stepped onto the wooden hall to face Ranma. He reached only Ranma's chin, but he stepped back and crossed his arms over his chest confidently. Ranma frowned.  
  
"Who's this punk?" Ranma asked me as he decided to ignore Akito. I saw Akito bristle in annoyance. I guess he wasn't used to being ignored.  
  
"I'm Akane's roommate," Akito said defiantly. Ranma frowned as he looked back and forth between Akito and me.  
  
"What?" Ranma and I asked at the same time.  
  
"We're roommates, right?" Akito asked innocently as he held up his hands at his sides. He looked up at me with puppy dog eyes. For an eleven year old, he was unusually good at manipulating people. I gave another weary sigh. I couldn't believe I'd actually promised him I'd follow his lead.  
  
"Yeah," I grumbled, then made my way to my room. I opened the door and slipped in, ignoring both Ranma and Akito. Only then did I realize how much in disarray my room was. I hadn't bothered to clean up after I'd packed; so many things were strewn all across the floor. I plopped onto the bed. Akito came in and leaned against the doorway.  
  
"What was that for?" I demanded hotly as I sprang up to sitting position. He looked back at me unconcernedly.  
  
"That loser's your fiancé? You're in love with that Ranma Saotome guy," he said in a matter-of-factly tone. I didn't even want to ask how he'd found that out.  
  
"No, I'm not."  
  
"You have the habit of hiding your feelings when it comes to him," he said, his hands in his pocket.  
  
"I hate that lying, arrogant-"  
  
"But we'll take care of that issue next week."  
  
"I hate Ranma! I like Doctor Tofu!"  
  
All right, I admit I'd lied. But Akito was rapidly driving me insane. I would have said anything for him to shut up at the moment. Dr. Tofu was the first male who came into my mind. Although I wasn't sure about my feelings towards Dr. Tofu, whether I was still in love with him or not, the truth was that he liked Kasumi.  
  
"Dr. Tofu?" Akito raised an eyebrow. I could almost see the wheels in his brain turning to formulate a plan. "You're I love with a Dr. Tofu?"  
  
"No," I said, before I could stop myself. Akito raised a skeptical eyebrow. I shook my head hastily. "I mean, of course I'm in love with Dr. Tofu. But... Forget it. He's in love with Kasumi, my oldest sister."  
  
Akito suddenly smiled mischievously. The expression on his face clearly read: We'll see about that. He opened the door of my room, and gestured outside to the wooden hall.  
  
"That Ranma guy is kind of strong, right?" he asked as I stepped out to the hall. I nodded my head. All I wanted to do was sleep and forget I'd ever met such an annoying person, but I did promise. And I did want a solution to my problems, though I wasn't sure what Akito was leading to. "Do you know where he is?" he continued.  
  
"Probably in the dojo," I said. "Why?"  
  
"We're gonna be breaking your arm," Akito said sweetly with so much ease and confidence that I wasn't sure I'd heard him properly. "Don't worry, this will solve a little problem of yours."  
  
"What problem will that solve?" I burst out, stupefied. He wanted me to have my arm broken willingly?! Though I'd promised, only an idiot would have agreed.  
  
"If you have a broken arm, then you can go see Dr. Tofu," Akito explained, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.  
  
"You're crazy!"  
  
He stared at me as if he could read my personality very well. I gave an involuntary step backwards.  
  
"Fine. He'll be breaking my arm then."  
  
"What?!" That was even worse. The tone of Akito's voice pointedly implied that he was going to break my arm so that we could see Dr. Tofu and no other reason. "No way!"  
  
Akito said nothing, but smiled another sweet smile and turned to walk down the steep stairs.  
  
"Wait!" I said quickly. "Let's just pretend I have a headache or something."  
  
"No," Akito said, the smile never leaving his face. "There has to be skin contact."  
  
At that moment I felt sick. I followed him as he opened to main door and looked to the left and right. When he caught sight of the dojo, he walked towards that direction. Unsure of what he was trying to pull off, I continued to follow him. I knew that Ranma would never hurt this scrawny kid on purpose. Ranma was not the type to beat up people who couldn't defend themselves.  
  
Sure enough, as soon as we neared the entrance of the dojo, I heard nimble footsteps practicing across the wooden floor. I peered in the doorway to watch Ranma give a soaring kick midair. He landed back down on the floor and gave a well-practiced punch. I would have been contented to just stand there slightly out of view in the doorway and watch him practice, but Akito moved forward into the dojo light. Ranma noticed right away.  
  
"It's you," he said when he caught sight of Akito. I stepped forward, and he looked at me. "Akane. What are the two of you doing here?"  
  
In horror, I watched Akito charge forward towards Ranma with his fist raised behind him, as if he were going to punch my ex-fiancé. Ranma dodged the scrawny kid, and brought his hands up to restrain Akito.  
  
"You punk!" Ranma said as he sat on top of the struggling Akito. "What are you trying to pull?"  
  
Only then did I realize that Akito had been trying to trap Ranma into delivering a strong blow to his arm. I felt nauseated. For someone who seemed so filled with understanding of human nature, Akito was acting stupid. Didn't he just see that Ranma was strong enough to bring a stone wall down? I stepped forward.  
  
"Ranma," I said. Ranma glanced at me and stood up, simultaneously releasing Akito. Even if my focus was still on Ranma, I could almost feel Akito's triumphant grin. Only then did I realize that maybe this was what Akito had been hoping for. Like I said, he was unusually good at manipulating people, and he'd manipulated me into doing this. I stepped forward.  
  
Yes, I did promise to follow what he'd tell me to do. And anything was better than letting a kid take damage for me.  
  
"Ranma," I continued as I walked towards him. Akito crawled away to a few feet away. I held out my arm. "Can you punch my arm?"  
  
Ranma was puzzled. "What?"  
  
"Not enough to break it," I said, giving the now-sullen Akito a meaningful glance. "Just enough to, you know, bruise it a little."  
  
"That's not good enough," Akito piped up. I glared at him, and turned back to Ranma.  
  
"Y-You want me to punch you?" Ranma asked incredulously, looking horrified. I nodded hesitantly, and shifted sideways, so that he could have a straight aim to my arm.  
  
"Are you crazy?!" Ranma asked, backing away.  
  
"I can take it!" I insisted, moving towards him sideways. "It's just a punch! You hit other people all the time!"  
  
"That's different!"  
  
"How is it different?" I demanded. Akito's voice suddenly burst into our conversation, and we both turned to him.  
  
"Akane," he said, looking dejected and sad. I watched as his hand went into his pocket and pulled out a Swiss knife, I felt the sweat form on my forehead and roll down my temple. What was the kid planning to do? I was in the middle of a very important negotiation. "Maybe it would be better if I stab your arm instead."  
  
If I could, then I would have gone back in time and taken back my promise to this creepy kid. Now, he was holding the gleaming Swiss knife and smiling at me sweetly. Akito stood up. Ranma stepped in front of me.  
  
"What are you doing?" Ranma demanded as he took a fighting stance. I looked over Ranma's shoulder, and my jaw dropped open. I watched as Akito raised his left hand into the air, positioning it on his right forearm...  
  
"Akito, don't!" I shouted as I lunged forward. I think Ranma shouted out for me to stop, but I didn't listen. I almost tackled Akito as I reached out to grab the knife from his hands. But I'd made a miscalculation. Instead of grabbing the knife, I'd managed to get my arm in the way of the descending knife.  
  
The blade plunged into my forearm, and I screamed. The scream was more out of surprise than anything else, but it seemed to alarm both Ranma and Akito.  
  
Ranma jumped in and pulled the knife from my skin. There was a general silence as the three of us watched blood seep from the wound and drip down to the floor. It wasn't a deep cut, and it wasn't so painful. I looked up to glare at Akito, and he looked genuinely stricken. I felt myself soften.  
  
"I'll get you some bandages," Ranma said as he dashed out of the dojo.  
  
"Don't worry," I said to Akito. I felt sweat roll off my face when his face brightened immediately.  
  
"Okay," he said. "Let's go to Dr. Tofu's. Hurry, before the bleeding stops!"  
  
I was half-dazed by this time. I didn't really understand what was happening around me, so when Akito grabbed my good left arm and dragged me to the main gate of the Tendou dojo, I give any resistance. I watched as he looked back and forth to the right and left.  
  
"Which way?"  
  
"Right, then left at the second turn, then straight."  
  
Akito started running, pulling my arm all the while. After twenty minutes of quick running, we'd reached Dr. Tofu's clinic. The pain in my arm was already numbing away, but it was still bleeding. When I put a hand up to stop the pressure, Akito smacked it away.  
  
"It still has to be bleeding," he insisted. We entered the Tofu Clinic.  
  
"Dr. Tofu is still around the back," I said. I watched as more blood dripped from the wound to my hand. My arm was starting to look like something from a cheap horror film. Akito looked around and saw the waiting area, where there were couches. Warily, I watched him, as something in his brain seemed to click.  
  
"Over there," he said, pointing to the couches. He kicked off his shoes and went off to the waiting room. I kicked off my shoes and followed. "Lie down," he said.  
  
I was too tired to argue. I plopped down on my back on the couch, stupefied and at the same time curious as to what he planned. He looked at me.  
  
"Put your hands on your stomach," he ordered. "Like you're sleeping peacefully."  
  
I did this. I clasped my hands and lay them on my stomach.  
  
"Now, act dazed," Akito said quickly. I could hear the strained tone of his voice; as if he were the director and I were the main character. For the first time, I realized that maybe Akito really was trying his best to help me.  
  
This thought made me feel so grateful someone cared that I decided to honor his request. I let my eyes roll into my head and I opened my mouth so that my tongue could hang outside a little. I gave a small moan. Akito was not happy at all.  
  
"I didn't say act dead," he said. He opened his mouth to continue...  
  
"Oh, Akane," Dr. Tofu said as he emerged from the back room. "I thought I heard voices. He took one look at my arm and was instantly in doctor mode.  
  
"What happened to your arm?" he asked. "Can you stand?"  
  
I nodded. I must have looked ridiculous, my hands clasped in front of me as if I were lying in a coffin. I stood and led the way into the backroom, where Dr. Tofu proceeded to wash my arm with a small basin of water.  
  
"What happened to your arm?" he asked.  
  
I opened my mouth to speak. Like a monster, Akito appeared behind Dr. Tofu and answered for me.  
  
"She wanted to see you, so she cut herself."  
  
The blood rushed to my face. What Akito had said was true, but at the same time it wasn't. This situation was so contrary to what was right! Dr. Tofu laughed, and Akito frowned.  
  
"In any case, the cut isn't very deep. I'll just bandage it."  
  
"Akane here is in love with you!"  
  
"Oh, you're a funny kid," Dr. Tofu said as he stood up to get rid of the basin. He went to a closet not far away and pulled out some bandages and a hydrogen peroxide. While he did this, I glared at Akito. Shut up. Don't say another word. Akito just looked at me.  
  
"Akane loves you, but she says you're in love with Kasumi!"  
  
Of all the things to say, this was the worst, because it involved Kasumi's name. Which is exactly why Akito chose that particular sentence. Dr. Tofu turned around to face me, still holding the bandages. He was looking at me with a serious expression, and I felt my face turning red.  
  
"Is this true, Akane- chan?"  
  
I wanted to walk out of the clinic right then and there. It would have been so easy to laugh off the situation and have my arm treated, but then I realized that Akito's efforts would have been in vain. He had strange methods of trying to force me into resolving my feelings for Dr. Tofu, but this was the perfect opportunity. Akito had paved the way so that I could be clear on my feelings.  
  
"M-maybe," I stammered, looking down on my lap. From the corner of my eye, I saw Akito Son leave the room. Dr. Tofu came closer, and I looked up.  
  
"What do you feel?" Dr. Tofu asked, peering at me through his glasses. Strangely, I didn't feel anything. This thought startled me so much that I just stared back at him unabashedly, as if seeing him for the first time. I could look at his large glasses and squared chin without feeling embarrassed. I watched him smile.  
  
"See, I'm not the one you love," he said, as he came close to pour the hydrogen peroxide over my arm. For the first time, I realized how true that statement was. He held my arm steady with one of his strong hands, and I felt nothing. There was no immediate beating of my heart, no blood rushing into my cheeks.  
  
There was no mistake. But why? I'd always thought that I was in love with Dr. Tofu.  
  
"Do you want to know something?" Dr. Tofu asked as he patted my skin with cotton. I nodded as he began to wrap my arm in bandages. "You're in love with someone else."  
  
I understood then that I'd been infatuated with Dr. Tofu. He had been the only guy who didn't want to date me. He was always there to treat my cuts and wounds, and he always gave such great advice when I needed help in one of my problems. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized I thought of Dr. Tofu more as an older brother of some sort than a boyfriend.  
  
I had been thinking all these thoughts while Dr. Tofu wrapped my arm with the bandages, and was abruptly brought out of my little world when he was done.  
  
"Finished," Dr. Tofu said, smiling. He patted my newly bandaged arm. "You'd better go home. It's almost dinnertime."  
  
I nodded and smiled, feeling strangely refreshed. When I turned to leave, I gave Dr. Tofu an affectionate peck on the cheek. I stepped out of the room into the waiting area. Akito was sitting on the couch, looking at ease. He grinned at me, and I felt the corners of my mouth turn up slowly to grin back at him.  
  
"You're smarter than you look," I said, shaking my head in disbelief. The incredulous smile was still on my face. He continued to grin as he nodded in agreement.  
  
"Of course," he said. "That's one eyesore out of the way."  
  
=========  
  
Dinner went quite smoothly in the Tendou dojo. After Ranma Saotome tried to pummel Akito to the ground for the earlier incident, everything fell back into order. I'd blown Ranma into the sky with my mallet after I watched him bully the younger kid. When Ranma came falling back full of insults for me, I pummeled him into the sky again.  
  
I hadn't realized that across the table, Akito was watching me scream and hit Ranma for every little insult. Then Akito opened his mouth to speak to me, and I felt sweat start to form on my brow as apprehension settled in.  
  
"We're going to have to do something about that temper of yours..."  
  
==========  
  
TBC...( Reviews! 


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